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Mbappé Faces Haaland in Champions League Appetizer for World Cup. Troubled Liverpool Goes to Inter

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe poses with the trophy after scoring four goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Olympiacos and Real Madrid, in in Piraeus port, near Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe poses with the trophy after scoring four goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Olympiacos and Real Madrid, in in Piraeus port, near Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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Mbappé Faces Haaland in Champions League Appetizer for World Cup. Troubled Liverpool Goes to Inter

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe poses with the trophy after scoring four goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Olympiacos and Real Madrid, in in Piraeus port, near Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe poses with the trophy after scoring four goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Olympiacos and Real Madrid, in in Piraeus port, near Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A Champions League clash between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland will surely happen in the final one day.

On Wednesday, it is a routine league-phase game when Real Madrid hosts Manchester City and the most feared forwards in soccer cross paths for the third time in the competition since Haaland debuted in 2019.

Also this week, Liverpool brings its season of turmoil to San Siro against Inter Milan on Tuesday, when Bayern Munich hosts Sporting Lisbon. Paris Saint-Germain is at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, The AP news reported.

In the sixth of the eight rounds, league-leading Arsenal can become the first team to reach the 16-point total that last season ensured advancing direct to the round of 16, The AP news reported.

Arsenal is the only team with five straight wins on 15 points and needs to avoid defeat Tuesday at Club Brugge to reach the potential cutoff between eighth and ninth place in January.

Mbappé vs. Haaland Tuesday at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium likely won’t be the last time they meet this season.

France will play Norway on June 26 at the New England Patriots’ stadium in Foxborough, Mass., in one of the most anticipated games from the World Cup draw made Friday.

There might also be more in the Champions League given that Real Madrid and Manchester City met in the knockout rounds in each of the past four seasons. They combined to win three titles in that time though Mbappé still seeks his first.

Mbappé vs. Haaland first happened in the round of 16 in February 2020. Newly arrived at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland scored two in the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain and revealed his “Zen” goal celebration, sitting down cross-legged as if meditating. Mbappé and PSG won in Paris to advance 3-2 on aggregate score.

Last season, in the knockout playoffs in February, Mbappé scored four times including a hat trick in the second leg as Madrid beat Man City in both games, despite Haaland’s two goals in the first leg.

Mbappé’s four goals at Olympiakos last month lifted him to be top scorer in the Champions League this season. He needs one more to reach 10 in a Champions League season for the first time during his decade in the competition.

Haaland has five so far, and already got into double figures in three Champions League campaigns.

Madrid starts the week in fifth place on 12 points, two ahead of City in ninth in the 36-team standings.

Equally prolific Kane Harry Kane is just as prolific for Bayern Munich this season. He has scored 28 in just 22 games for Bayern plus five in five World Cup qualifiers for England.

Kane has kept pace with Haaland’s goal-a-game ratio in the Champions League and kept Bayern third in the standings, despite losing at Arsenal two weeks ago.

Ahead of Kane and Haaland is six-goal Victor Osimhen, who is fit to return with Galatasaray at Monaco on Tuesday. Both teams are in contention for a top-24 finish and places in the knockout stage starting in February.

Frankfurt fans return Barcelona hosting Eintracht Frankfurt is a repeat of a remarkable show of force by visiting fans four seasons ago — and one the Spanish club has now worked to avoid.

Eintracht’s road to winning the Europa League in 2022 included what looked and sounded like a home game to win 3-2 at Camp Nou in the second leg of the quarterfinals.

About 30,000 German fans were there after most bought tickets from Barcelona fans, who last week were warned by their club not to do that again.

“If the traceability of ticket purchases and their final destination reveals fraudulent behavior, the case will be referred to the disciplinary committee,” Barcelona said last week in a statement.

Barcelona is certainly favored to win this time. The La Liga leader scored five in winning at the weekend while Eintracht was routed 6-0 at Leipzig.

Winter is coming It will be an unusually early Champions League kickoff at 4:30 p.m. Central Europe Time when Kairat Almaty hosts Olympiakos on Tuesday. That is 8:30 p.m. in eastern Kazakhstan where evening temperatures can plummet in December.

UEFA planned well to schedule the game Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Forecast temperature at kickoff is about 0 Celsius (32 Fahrenheit) while it should be -12 C (10 F) at the same time one day later.

Bodo/Glimt’s European season continues at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday after its domestic season finished in Norway being edged for the title by Viking. The Norwegian league avoids the bitter winter and Glimt has two more Champions League games in January, and maybe more in the knockout phase, during the Norwegian offseason.

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Antonelli Bids for Hat-trick as F1 Returns in Miami

FILE - Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car in pit lane during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuki, Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Franck Robichon⁩/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car in pit lane during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuki, Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Franck Robichon⁩/Pool Photo via AP, File)
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Antonelli Bids for Hat-trick as F1 Returns in Miami

FILE - Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car in pit lane during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuki, Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Franck Robichon⁩/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car in pit lane during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuki, Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Franck Robichon⁩/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in F1 history, will seek to complete a hat-trick of early season victories this weekend as Formula One returns after a month's enforced absence due to the Middle East war.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, triumphant in China and Japan, leads team-mate George Russell, who won the season-opening Australian race, by nine points ahead of what is effectively the start of another season, complete with revised rules and widespread car upgrades, at the Miami Grand Prix.

"After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track," said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. "We've used this break to analyze the opening races, address our weaknesses and rase our level.

"We've started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars so we expect the field to be closer in Miami.

"That's the reality of F1 - it's a challenge we must rise to."

Antonelli's early triumphs made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races. Ascari completed his treble that season.

Wolff also addressed the tweaks to the regulations to be introduced in Miami, aimed at making the cars and the spectacle more natural with reduced battery re-charging in qualifying and increased super-clipping power to reduce dangerous speed differentials.

According to AFP, he said the revised rules would "respect the DNA of our sport" and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes' early-season performance advantage.

For Mercedes, this Sunday's race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull and twice by McLaren with a win apiece for world champion Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri.

They will harbor hopes of claiming points too with success in Saturday's sprint race, won last year by Norris, but Ferrari are widely expected to be strong contenders too as they arrive in Miami, like McLaren, who are bringing an almost "completely new car", with a heavily revised package.

"It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year," said Norris. "It's a different track and it may still suit us a little more than others."

After winning in 2022 and 2023, Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes' winning run and revive Red Bull's challenge this year after a discouraging start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with team-mate Isack Hadjar 12th on four.

Ferrari's duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton are third and fourth respectively on 49 and 41 points with many paddock observers suggesting they are poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz's success in Mexico in October 2024.

Leclerc's eighth and last win came at Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz's triumph while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian race before he joined Ferrari. After a desultory first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo.

"We're all re-charged after the break," said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers. "I'm hoping we can continue where we left off."

It will mark newcomers Cadillac's first racing appearance on home soil in the United States when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas venture out at the Hard Rock Stadium in a new American livery.

Sports

Burnley Boss Parker Leaves Club after Relegation

(FILES) Burnley's English manager Scott Parker arrives before the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
(FILES) Burnley's English manager Scott Parker arrives before the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
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Burnley Boss Parker Leaves Club after Relegation

(FILES) Burnley's English manager Scott Parker arrives before the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
(FILES) Burnley's English manager Scott Parker arrives before the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Manchester City at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Scott Parker has left his position as head coach of Burnley by mutual consent following the club's relegation from the Premier League, it was announced on Thursday.

Burnley said in a statement that Parker and the board had "mutually agreed that his time at Turf Moor would conclude" following one season back in the English top division.

Parker led the Clarets to promotion last year but this season has been a struggle, with just four league wins in total.

Burnley's fate was confirmed on April 22 after a 1-0 home defeat by Manchester City, two days after Wolves were relegated.

Parker, who has previously managed Fulham, Bournemouth and Belgian side Club Brugge, signed a three-year contract in July 2024, succeeding Vincent Kompany.

He oversaw a remarkable 2024/25 season in the Championship, which included a 31-match unbeaten run and 30 clean sheets, taking them back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

But Burnley have conceded 68 goals in 34 league matches in the current campaign, the most of any side, and were knocked out of the FA Cup and League Cup by third-tier teams.

"The club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Scott for his professionalism, dedication and contribution," AFP quoted Burnley as saying in a statement.

"He leaves with the respect and gratitude of everyone connected with Burnley Football Club."

Former England midfielder Parker, 45, said in a statement on the club's website that it had been an "immense privilege" to lead Burnley.

"I have enjoyed every moment of our journey together, but feel that now is the right time for both parties to move in a different direction," he said.

"I reflect back with great pride on what we achieved during my time at the club, especially our unforgettable promotion season in 2024/25, and it was a true honor to lead this team into the Premier League."

The club said Parker's assistant, Mike Jackson, would take charge for the club's four remaining Premier League fixtures, beginning with Friday's match at Leeds United.

It said the process of appointing a new permanent head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season had begun.

Sports

Canadian Official Backs Up Report that Iran’s Soccer Chief Denied Entry for FIFA Event

The FIFA Congress gathering comes weeks before the start of a World Cup that is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico (Reuters)
The FIFA Congress gathering comes weeks before the start of a World Cup that is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico (Reuters)
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Canadian Official Backs Up Report that Iran’s Soccer Chief Denied Entry for FIFA Event

The FIFA Congress gathering comes weeks before the start of a World Cup that is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico (Reuters)
The FIFA Congress gathering comes weeks before the start of a World Cup that is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico (Reuters)

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday it was her “understanding” that Iranian soccer officials were denied entry into her country ahead of the FIFA Congress meeting in Vancouver just weeks before the start of the World Cup.

Anand appeared to confirm a report from Tasnim, an Iranian news agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but she said the denial was “unintentional.”

Tasnim reported that Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj and two other Iranian officials were denied entry due to “inappropriate behavior of immigration officials” at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

“It’s not my personal lead, but my understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate,” Anand said, apparently referring to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.

The online news outlet Iran International first reported that Taj had been granted a visa Monday and had been removed from Canada late Tuesday evening due to his connections to the IRGC, a listed terrorist entity in Canada.

An emailed response from Diab’s office said all visa applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by trained officials, Reuters reported.

“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” said Taous Ait, Diab’s press secretary.

The FIFA Congress gathering comes weeks before the start of a World Cup that is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Representatives from each of the 211 federations in soccer’s governing body were expected to attend the event that begins Thursday.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Iran's status for the event.